Sunday, March 30, 2008

Nashua man shares his passion for the Land of Oz in a series of booksBy DARRELL HALEN Telegraph Correspondent

When he was a young boy, Joshua Patrick Dudley fell in love with "The Wizard of Oz" and yearned to travel to the story's magical land.

So he did – in his imagination. Now, the Nashua author is sharing the second story of his "journey" in the Land of Oz.

"Lost in Oz: Rise of the Dark Wizard," the second installment of Dudley's twist on the classic Oz stories, recently became available at online bookstores. It continues the saga of four teenagers who stumbled upon their own journey down the yellow brick road.

• "I'm not in this for monetary gain at all," said Dudley, 22. "It's just spreading my love of Oz, spreading my interpretation of it."

Dudley's obsession with the story started early. When he was about 3, he fell in love with the classic 1939 film starring Judy Garland when he watched it for the first time.

He would watch the film again "thousands of times," he said, wearing out several copies of the movie.

"It was a completely different place for me, to see different colors and Munchkins and the Yellow Brick Road and crazy things like that," recalled Dudley, who was also heavily influenced by reading L. Frank Baum's Oz books. "Stuff kids dream about. It was awesome."

Dudley's stories are written in the first person. Joshua is joined on his journey in the Land of Oz by his twin sister, Tamara, his best friend, Tommy, and his friend, Laura.

In Dudley's first book, "Lost in Oz," the teens' presence in the land has altered the original story and they must deal with the consequences.

In his sequel, the group searches for Glinda's Great Book of Records, which keeps track of everything that happened in Oz, to erase that they had been there. Meanwhile, the Dark Wizard wants to steal the book so he can put into motion evil plots of destruction.

Dudley grew up in Hooksett and was heavily influenced artistically by his mother, Laurel Levesque, a teacher. He graduated from Manchester Central High School in 2004, and earned a degree in musical theater from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

Dudley designed his own book covers and also drew the pictures in his second novel. His love for Baum's stories isn't confined to his writing – his bedroom is filled with Oz collectibles and memorabilia and he has performed in four theater productions of "The Wizard of Oz."

Dudley, whose book tours take him to Oz festivals, book fairs, middle schools and book signings, has heard from kids as young as 5 who enjoyed reading his first novel with their parents, as well as longtime Oz lovers in their 60s who like his fresh twist on the classic story.

"The Wizard of Oz," a perennial classic with its engaging story, lovable music and technical artistry, was a ratings hit when it first aired on television in 1956.

"The basic Baum story is so well known, it's one of the few things that hasn't gone out of style," said John Fricke, a Manhattan-based writer and producer who has chronicled Judy Garland's career and the appeal of Oz. "It's a real pop culture phenomenon that shows no sign of fading."

It's a film that kids fall in love with immediately, Fricke said. They relate to Dorothy's love for her dog, Toto, and the Kansas farm girl's desire to travel to a better place.

"I think everyone wants to find that place – just like in the song 'Over the Rainbow' – where they feel completely comfortable with themselves," added Dudley, who plans to write a third installment. "Oz is for, has always been and always will be about the kids. You get sucked in when you're a kid. You love this fantasy world so much you want nothing more than to be a part of this world, and it just stays with you for life. The characters are relatable. You feel for Dorothy during her entire journey."

Nowadays, the Baum books – he wrote 13 sequels to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" – appeal primarily to kids younger than 12, said Fricke. Dudley's books are geared to older readers, especially middle school students and teenagers, he said.

"I think he found an untapped audience with his first book," said Fricke, who met Dudley at an Oz festival in Lancaster, N.Y., where the young author was promoting his first book. "He's been an entertainer, so he's good with the public. He's very personable. He has that youthful energy that's so much like Oz."

Saturday, March 15, 2008

I'm so excited to finally announce the release of my second book, Rise of the Dark Wizard. I cannot thank everyone enough for all of your support and I hope you all enjoy reading about my latest journies through Oz.

It's available online now atwww.Target.comwww.BN.com (Barnes and Noble)www.Amazon.com and many others!

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Joshua Patrick Dudley continues to give a fresh look to the stories of Oz with the release of his second book, Lost in Oz: Rise of the Dark Wizard.

Nashua, NH —2008— Joshua Patrick Dudley, a 22-year-old New Hampshire resident, is gearing for the release of his second book, Lost in Oz: Rise of the Dark Wizard

Told in first person, present tense, Rise of the Dark Wizard picks up where the first book left off. Joshua, Tamara, Tommy and Laura have been trapped in Mifkets Asylum for some time and have been trying to find any means of escape. Unfortunately for Joshua, his friends find a way out but he must remain alone in the asylum while the others return to Oz in search of Glinda’s Great Book of Records which keeps track of every event that happens in Oz as it happens. Their goal is to erase the fact that they were ever in Oz by tearing the pages from the book that contain their story. The Dark Wizard, the newest and most evil villain to ever set foot on Oz soil is also searching for the Great Book of Records to set all of Oz’s most evil deeds into motion at once. Can Joshua return to Oz and aid his friends in destroying his prophecy or is Oz forever doomed?

Full of twists, turns and many unexpected plot points, Rise of the Dark Wizard promises to revive the Fantasy genre that has lost steam since the end of Harry Potter. The second book also boasts interior illustrations (photo-manips) created by the author himself!

The book will be available at all online book retailers beginning March 13, 2008 and is available for purchase online now at www.LostInOzBook.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Joshua Patrick Dudley lostinozbook@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORJoshua Patrick Dudley has a wide array of interests and hobbies that drive his life. His greatest passions in life are all art-related and include writing, graphic design, acting, singing and dancing. Joshua also serves as an advocate to the arts by appearing in middle-school classrooms to teach creative writing workshops. Joshua lives and writes in Nashua, New Hampshire, where he is busy working on the third installment of Lost in Oz.

Lost in Oz: Rise of the Dark Wizard by Joshua Patrick DudleyISBN-13: 978-0-6151-8871-3 Format: Paperback, 205pp